Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Russian prisoners taken by the Qajar army (William Price, [1811] 1825)


Russian prisoners taken by the Qajar army




April 4th.―Near four hundred Russian prisoners arrived, who had surrendered after the battle of Kara Baugh; they came from Tabriz to be exhibited before the king, who would not believe they had been taken without seeing them. Many of the poor fellows were wounded, and unable to bear the fatigue of the march, but they were forced along till several of them died by the way: those however who did arrive were immediately assisted by Doctors Cormick and Sharpe, who dressed their wounds, which had never been done since the battle, the Persians having no surgeons.
The officers taken were the following: ―Captain Platon Andreaje; shtaps (sub) Captains, Stepan Osipeech and Alexander Freyoot Selieh; Potporoochik (Lieuts.) Ivan Karpich, Michaelo Terentiech, artillery, Pietre Andreaje, and Vauseelé Gregooridge; Praprechik (Ensign) Evan Evanof.

The Shah conferred the title of General on Captain Platon Andreaje, and sent him as a present insignia of an order set in glass, which served to amuse the officers, and caused them much laughter. The insignia was carried to him by Nicholai Evanof, a young man who had been taken prisoner about nine years before, and made slave to one of the princes. Nicholai Evanof is about twenty-four years of age; he has often called upon me and recounted his history. He is the son of a Captain Evanof, and was born at Moscow. He was taken by the army of Abbas Mirza at fifteen years of age, and was doomed, with his fellow prisoners, to be beheaded; he was the only one that was spared, on condition of becoming a mussulman, which he pretended to do, and took a fresh name, that of Iskandar or Alexander. He was sent by Abbas Mirza as a present to one of his brothers at Tehiran, from whence he soon afterwards found means of escaping, and had travelled almost to the Russian frontiers, living upon herbs most of the way; but his tongue betrayed him, and he was re-taken by the Persians within twelve miles of the Russian territory, again condemned to death, but was let off with a severe bastinadoing, and has been strictly watched ever since. He had some hopes of getting his release through the means of Sir Gore, particularly if his Excellency should return to England through Russia, as in that case he might be very serviceable to him on the road. Sir Gore commissioned him to deliver some messages to the officers above mentioned, and when Nicholai Evanof heard the name of Evan Evanof and examined his features, he told me he suspected him to be his own brother, and when a convenient opportunity offered, would endeavour to ascertain who Evan Evanof was.


William Price, Journal of the British Embassy to Persia; Embellished with Numerous Views taken in India and Persia: also a Dissertation upon the Antiquities of Persepolis. — London: Kingsbury, Parbury, and Allen, Booksellers to the Honourable East India Company, p. 33.

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